Ukiah: Five arrested, 800-plus pot plants seized on Low Gap Road

Deputies arrested five people, four of them from Ukiah, and seized more than 800 marijuana plants at two homes and five more gardens raided on Low Gap Road Thursday, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

The MCSO's County of Mendocino Marijuana Eradication Team (COMMET), with help from patrol deputies, detectives, Animal Control officers, Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force agents and state Department of Fish and Game wardens, served three warrants in the 13000 block of Low Gap Road at about 9 a.m. Aug. 30.

Authorities seized more than 230 large marijuana plants, processed marijuana, $5,471 cash and "other evidence that the marijuana was possessed for sales" at one site, according to a Tuesday morning MCSO statement. Arrested there on suspicion of possessing marijuana for sale and cultivating marijuana were Susan Applebaum, 55, of Ukiah; Max Rapoport, 26, of Ukiah; Jonathan Sells, 27, of Hauula, Hawaii; and Sidney Sittig, 61, of Ukiah.

At a second site, authorities seized more than 280 marijuana plants and evidence of sales, according to the MCSO, and arrested Edward Husiar, 55, of Ukiah. Husiar and Rapoport had the same address at the second site, according to the MCSO.

A third site is being investigated by MMCTF agents, and information about that site wasn't available Tuesday morning.

Animal Control officers with the MCSO responded to remove dogs on the properties, according to MCSO spokesman Capt. Kurt Smallcomb.

Officers also raided five more gardens in the surrounding area, seizing another 335 marijuana plants in "open field raids" not associated with homes, according to Smallcomb.

Authorities identified several suspects believed to be responsible for those grows, and more investigation and possibly arrests are expected, according to the MCSO.

The state Department of Fish and Game is investigating illegal water diversion found at several of the grow sites and working to identify suspects, according to the MCSO.